Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is the gold standard for treating obstructive sleep apnea. The CPAP machine provides a constant stream of pressurized air during sleep. This airflow keeps your airway open. Other positive airway pressure (PAP) treatments include:
- BPAP (bilevel positive airway pressure): It provides two different pressure settings: one when you inhale, and a lower pressure when you exhale.
- APAP (auto-adjusting positive airway pressure): It raises or lowers your air pressure as needed during the night.
Most newer CPAP machines have a modem or wireless feature that allows remote access to your data. The data include details about how often you use the treatment and how effective it is. So what happens to that data?
It is remotely transmitted to the durable medical equipment company or medical office that gave you the machine. The data also may be shared with your doctor or insurance company. The manufacturer of your CPAP machine also may collect this data.
Most CPAP manufacturers have a patient website or app where you can access your data. Your CPAP machine also may display some data for you. You shouldn’t try to “hack” your machine to access the data or change your machine’s settings. These settings are set by trained sleep professionals and are based on the results of your sleep study.
Contact your sleep center if you have any concerns about your treatment. The sleep team at the sleep center can determine if any of your CPAP settings need to be changed.
